Livability Blount County, TN

One of Tennessee’s oldest counties, Blount County was the 10th created in Tennessee when a part of Knox County was separated by the Territorial Legislature in 1795. Named after William Blount, governor of the Southwest Territory, the growing county is home to several distinct communities that offer residents a standout quality of life.

There certainly is plenty to see and do in Blount County, beginning with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sprawling across more than 522,000 acres, the appeal of the park is obvious, with hundreds of miles of trails, more than 2,000 miles of streams and rivers, 100-plus waterfalls and magnificent vistas.

But there is even more outdoors to enjoy in Blount County. This includes the 14-mile Vee Hollow mountain bike trail system in Townsend, the scenic Little River (which runs out of the national park and cuts across the county for 33 miles before joining the Tennessee River), and the Maryville-Alcoa Greenway, a 15-mile paved trail.

A diverse economy continues to power Blount County, with strong sectors like advanced manufacturing, education, health care, retail and tourism. More than 100 manufacturing companies do business in Blount County. DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee is the county’s largest employer with about 4,000 workers. Another major employer is the 279-bed Blount Memorial Hospital, located in Maryville and a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Livability Blount County, Tennessee is sponsored by Blount Partnership.